Coal Kills: An Assessment of Death and Disease caused by India’s Dirtiest Energy Source

This analysis of the health impacts of coal-fired power plants in India finds that coal is taking a heavy toll on human life across large parts of the country. The study finds that in 2011-2012, emissions from Indian coal plants resulted in 80,000 to 115,000 premature deaths and more than 20 million asthma cases from exposure to PM10 pollution. Additional health impacts are quantified such as hundreds of thousands of heart attacks, emergency room visits, hospital admissions, and lost workdays caused by coal-based emissions. Monetary cost associated with these health impacts are estimataed to exceed US$3.3 to $4.6 billion per year.